The ability to measure a dog's height is useful for assessing how quickly it is growing, and is also important for participating in dog shows. In this case, growth is measured from the floor to the withers of the animal. The withers are the highest point of the back at the level of the shoulder blades. This approach to measuring height is the standard for all dogs and always provides accurate readings.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: How to Measure Height at the Withers
Step 1. Place the dog against the wall
For the measurement to be accurate when measuring the height of the dog, the animal must be standing. The dog should be placed next to a wall or doorframe. The vertical pivot point will be used when measuring the dog's height.
Make sure the dog is standing up straight. Try to provide the pet with the most correct stance when all of its four legs are firmly on the floor and evenly spaced relative to each other. All legs should be perpendicular to the floor, and the legs themselves should be located approximately shoulder-width apart
Step 2. Feel for the dog's withers
The withers are the highest point of the shoulder blades. It is located directly behind the dog's neck. Feel for this area and find the top protruding point of the shoulder blades.
The easiest way to find the withers is in a dog with short hair. In this case, it can be seen even with the naked eye
Step 3. Place a level at the withers perpendicular to the dog's body and place a mark on the wall
Bring the level to the dog's withers so that one end touches the wall. Make sure the level is perfectly horizontal, and then mark the lowest point of contact of the level with the wall on the wall. This will mark the dog's height on the wall.
- If you don't mind a little mark on the wall, you can use a simple pencil and actually mark. Well, if you do not want to spoil the wall, you can simply put your finger on the wall at the appropriate point, or mark it with a piece of masking tape.
- The height can also be measured in front of the refrigerator, and the actual height of the dog can be marked with a magnet on it.
Step 4. Measure the distance from the floor to the mark
Release the dog to move it away from the wall. As soon as the space near the wall is free, you just have to measure the distance from the floor to the mark. The resulting value will be the height of your pet at the withers.
For measurements, you can use both a regular ruler and a tape measure
Method 2 of 2: How to Ensure Measurement Accuracy
Step 1. Keep the dog still
In order to accurately measure the height of the pet, during the measurement process, it is necessary to ensure the maximum possible immobility of the animal. With well trained show dogs, this is easy enough. But with more active pets, you have to work hard.
If the dog refuses to stand still, get someone to help. The helper will need to hold the dog or try to distract him for a while to get an accurate measurement
Step 2. Use a regular dog height gauge
In pet stores you can find special height meters for dogs with a movable horizontal bar to mark the height on a vertical ruler. They are quite convenient for measuring the growth of pets, since the lower end of the stadiometer rests against the floor, and the movable bar simply drops down to the dog's withers.
When using such a height meter, it is important to ensure that its ruler remains vertical. Fortunately, many dog height meters have a built-in level
Step 3. Use a wicket-type stadiometer to participate in exhibitions
Show dogs' height needs to be measured very accurately in order to verify compliance with breed standards. For quick and effective measurement of animals at exhibitions, wicket-type height meters, having a U-shape, are often used. In this case, the pre-set arch of the height meter is lowered to the withers of the dog and a check is made to see if its lower ends touch the floor. If this condition is met, then the growth of the dog does not exceed the permissible level.
- The wicket stadiometer is adjusted according to the official standards of the breed whose growth is measured.
- Before using this method of measuring height, take the time to train your dog appropriately to get it accustomed to the wicket height meter. If you are preparing a dog for participation in a show, you can train your pet to the height meter gate at the same time when you teach him the appropriate show rack.